But, with the game having started an hour late at noon, as Kent had been in One-Day Cup action at Hove the night before, a slow over rate meant a late finish at 19:49 BST.

George Rhodes, playing in only his second Championship match, lasted more than two and a half hours for his 16, having opened the Worcestershire batting as deputy for Brett D'Oliveira, who was absent after dislocating his finger.

Billings close to Kent record

Sam Billings had earlier starred behind the stumps, taking seven catches, just one behind Kent's county record of eight, set by Steve Marsh against Middlesex at Lord's in 1991.

Billings is only the second Kent wicketkeeper to take seven catches in an innings - a surprising statistic, given that the county has in the past produced some legendary Test keepers, Alan Knott, Godfrey Evans, Les Ames, Hopper Levett and, more recently, 2005 Ashes hero Geraint Jones.

'This has been coming' - Claydon

Kent paceman Mitch Claydon told BBC Radio Kent:

"I felt that performance has been coming for a while. I've put in some good spells over the past couple of months without the wickets I felt I've deserved. It strange how it works some days.

"This was the pitch we played Glamorgan on earlier in the season. We found then that, if we bent our backs, we could get something out of it.

"Finishing the day just before 8pm seems a bit crazy, but we needed that lie in after a big one-day game at Hove on Tuesday night."

Worcestershire boss Steve Rhodes told BBC Hereford & Worcester:

"We did think about bowling first when we arrived. We knew it was a little damp but, when it was mowed, they took all the grass off it.

"We then thought we might bat first even if it meant getting through a tough patch at the start.

"Kent bowled well but we lacked a little intensity with our batting and got ourselves in a bit of a hole. It was a disappointing day."

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